Malaysian Night - History

History

There is no exact definition as to what Malaysian Night is really about. Some go by other names - like the name "Festival of Diversity" is awarded by the Cardiff University Students' Union to the Malaysian Students' Society of Cardiff University for their annual musical play or the London School of Economics Malaysian Society holds a "Malam Bakti", Charity Night at the end of the year. Essentially it is about entertainment and promoting Malaysia and its culture - even though, more often than not, the vast majority of attendees of such events are Malaysians. It usually contains any number of the following: a play or a series of sketches, Dikir Barat, fashion show, formal dinner or a Malaysian food festival, among others. It is almost always held in the evening, hence the name.

Malaysian Night is especially popular in the United Kingdom, where it is the most important function after Malaysian Games that brings Malaysians together - either internally (in that particular institution) or regionally (involving students from other institutions). It can also be seen in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States, especially in institutions that have a large number of Malaysian students studying there.